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Academic Programs

BSc in Economics

Kenji Kawahara

Economics Associate Professor

Kenji Kawahara

Biography

Dr. Kenji Kawahara specializes in antitrust/competition law. He had worked in private practice (Mori Hamada & Matsumoto (Japan), and Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP) and also had worked for governmental enforcer side governing energy sector (Electricity and Gas Market Surveillance Commission, METI, Japan) and big-techs (Digital Market Policy Office of Commerce and Information Policy Bureau, METI, Japan, enforcing the Digital Platforms Transparency Act.) He holds an LL.B. from University of Tokyo, a J.D. from University of Tokyo, an LL.M. from Georgetown University, and a Ph.D. in law from Kobe University. His main research interest is antitrust/competition law issues over unilateral conducts by businesses with market powers including digital platforms, and he is looking into cases in U.S. and EU to compare with Japanese legal discussions with his experience of legal practice in this area.

Research Interests

Antitrust Law, Competition Law, Digital Platforms

Final Education

Ph.D. in Law, Kobe University

Academic Papers

  • Kenji Kawahara (2026) Overview of the 2025 ministrial evaluation of designated digital platforms under the Transparency Act. New Business Law (1312)
  • Kenji Kawahara (2025) Overview of the 2024 ministrial evaluation of designated digital platforms under the Transparency Act, and the comparison of the act's approach with European counterparts. Journal of the Japanese Institute of International Business Law 53 (6)
  • Kenji Kawahara (2025) Overview of the Transparency Act and its 2024 ministrial evaluation of designated digital platforms. Kosei Torihiki 896
  • Kenji Kawahara (2025) Overview of the 2024 ministrial evaluation of designated digital platforms under the Transparency Act, issue of impersonation ads of digital ads area. New Business Law 1289
  • Kenji Kawahara (2024) Ministrial recommedactions under Transparency Act against Amazon Japan and Apple Inc./iTunes K.K.. Kosei Torihiki 868
  • Kenji Kawahara (2023) Overview of 2024 November amendment of Electricity Trade Guidelines. Kosei Torihiki 868
  • Kenji Kawahara (2022) Structures of exercise of monopoly power under Japanese electricity system reform, and Anti-Monopoly Act's approach to it. Kobe University Repository